'The owners claim poverty, but refuse to open their books to prove it. The players operate under the misguided notion that they deserve to be paid like their peers in football, baseball and basketball. And both sides cling to the quaint idea that the people who make them all quite wealthy still care.'

'The fifth overall selection (by Buffalo) in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, the 20- year-old Vanek joined the Amerks this season after two standout seasons at the University of Minnesota, which included honors as the MVP of the NCAA Tournament as a freshman in 2003, when the Golden Gophers claimed their second straight national championship.'

'Boulton signed with the Columbia Inferno of the ECHL, the league in which he began his pro career in 1996-97. Boulton was in the lineup Friday night for a game in Charlotte and had a hooking penalty in the first period.'

'Considering the Amerks, when healthy, have four extra skaters (two defensemen, two forwards), there wasn't any need for another player, especially since Boulton would fall into the AHL "veteran" category (more than 260 games).'

'"Any time you leave a place that you loved and were a part of, there is a healing process," LaFontaine said after the news conference. "There's a letting go of that emotional tie. You move forward, and you forgive and say, "It is what it is.'"'

'"I look back at my time here, the fact that the Buffalo organization, the alumni pulled together like this, I just think that's very special," LaFontaine said, when asked about his past. "With everything going on in the world and going on in hockey, I commend the Sabres and alumni. What better place to help than Children's Hospital?"'

The biggest difficulty that I had was the constant barrage of interviews that I was required to do, how much time and effort that took for me and how much you had to concentrate on not offending anyone. At that time, hockey was basically a very Canadian sport, with very few American or European players.

'The other night the Americans set a franchise record for their largest home crowd when they played in Buffalo. How enthusiastic were they?

Ryan Miller: They were great. They were happy to see hockey back in Buffalo. They have been deprived for a while with the lockout. The team had some fun around town; we got there early and went around town.'

'I love to tell stories about Buffalo, the old Aud or just the people I met there when I lived in Buffalo. It’s a great city, good community and a great place to raise a family. I always enjoy going back. It’s one of the most underrated cities in the country. It’s too bad that Buffalo ended up with the reputation that it has, because it’s a great place to live and raise a family.'